Hello beautiful Darvey fans! I got the idea for this fic from one of the promo pics for Season 6B. This will be a couple of chapters but this first one is really just a prologue.

Chapter One: Personal Days and Black Slacks

He glanced down at his black shirt and slacks, debating a change of clothes. His shirt and pants were bound to get wrinkled during the drive. The last thing he wanted was to arrive in Connecticut a rumpled mess and give Marcus the insane notion that this day was something he'd actually lost sleep over.

He heard the front door open, followed by the familiar clatter of heels.

"You know, when I said, 'I'm taking a personal day' that was not an invitation for you to join me."

Donna shrugged as she deposited her purse on his kitchen counter.

"Then perhaps you should have come up with a better excuse."

Harvey paused, taking in her attire.

"You're wearing black."

"That's usually the most respectful sartorial choice."

"Donna…" he sighed, drawing out her name exasperatedly.

She pointed at his pants. "Those are going to wrinkle on the drive over."

Harvey brushed past her, ignoring the observation. "Go back to the office, Donna. Or better yet, take your own personal day."

He made quick strides to the front door, politely, but insistently holding it open for her.

Donna collected her purse from the counter and met him in the doorway.

"I'm going around the corner to pick up coffee. In ten minutes I expect you to be changed, downstairs and holding a dry cleaning bag with a suit inside. Preferably Tom Ford."

Harvey narrowed his eyes.

"They're all Tom Ford," he grumbled in acquiesce.

"Then you'll have options, won't you?"

Donna wore a self-satisfied smile as she slipped through the doorway and headed for the elevator. He waited until she was out of sight to trudge back into his bedroom to change.

"Wow, you're actually letting me drive?"

Donna slid into the passenger seat with ease. "I didn't want you to feel emasculated in your own car."

"Gee, thanks for that," Harvey said as he took his seat beside her.

Donna placed both coffee cups into the holder between them and buckled her seat belt. She stared at Harvey expectantly as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Harvey?"

He turned to her. "I don't know how you found out but since I can't seem to talk you out of tagging along today, I want you to promise that we will not talk about it."

"Harvey –"

"I'm not kidding, Donna. This isn't going to be one of those times where I say, 'I don't want to talk about it' and you harangue me until I do."

Donna flinched, offended by the remark.

"I'm also going to be an ass today," he said softly, by way of apology.

"I can handle it, Harvey."

"And you won't try to browbeat me into discussing my feelings?"

"Not this time," she promised.

He nodded. "Then we have an agreement."

Harvey sank back into his chair, fighting to keep his amusement at bay.

"Louis, I'm tired of having this argument with you."

"I don't understand what the big deal is."

"You are not moving into Jessica's office."

"Jessica's old office," he corrected.

"You have a perfectly good office."

"A perfectly good office with shitty sun exposure."

"Get another desk lamp."

"Get another partner."

"Get a life."

"Get a girlfriend."

"Uh, boys, I hate to interrupt this battle of wits but Harvey has a call waiting," Donna's voice cut through the intercom.

Louis scoffed and leaned back in his chair to glare at Donna.

"We're in a meeting!" he shouted.

Harvey rolled his eyes, sharing a look with Donna.

"The intercom works both ways, Louis. You do realise that through the magic of technology I can actually hear you?"

"Well take a message, this is important," he instructed.

"This is decidedly not important, Louis," Harvey said.

"Jessica isn't dead, Harvey. You don't have to keep a shrine for her."

Harvey stood up from his desk and opened the door to his office. He walked out and paused at Donna's desk.

"Donna, get Louis out of my goddamn office."

Louis huffed and jumped out of his chair, pounding for the door.

"This discussion is not over, Harvey."

Donna grinned at him, eyes sparkling. "You don't really care about keeping Jessica's office the way it is, do you?"

"Of course not, I just don't want Louis to have it," he told her with a wink.

Donna laughed and stood up. "I'll be in the partner's kitchen. Your brother is on line one."

"Hide some more of those bran bars while you're in there."

Donna smiled back at him over her shoulder, shaking her head.

"Hey, Marcus," Harvey said as picked up the phone in his office.

"Harvey…"

He sat upright at the tone dejected tone of his brother's voice.

"Marcus, what's wrong?"

"I don't uh…I'm not sure how to say this…"

"What happened? Do you need help? Money? What can I do?"

"Jeez, Harvey, I really appreciate your faith in me."

"I didn't mean –"

"Mom's dead. She died this morning."

Harvey felt the blood drain from his face, a horrible numbness settling in his limbs.

"The doctors think she had an aneurysm."

"Was she alone?"

"What?"

"Was she alone?"

"Why does…uh, yeah. She was alone."

"Okay…uh…" He spotted Donna walking back to her desk. "I'll call you back."

"Harvey?"

He hung up abruptly as Donna entered his office. She set a file on his desk.

"Quick chat," she observed.

"Yeah, he just wanted to remind me that it's Amy's birthday next week."

"Well it's a good thing her uncle already bought her a gift."

He looked up at Donna, forcing a grin on his face.

"Wow, I'm good aren't I?"

Donna smirked knowingly. "The best."

She reached for stack of briefs by his laptop. "Do you need anything else?"

Harvey shook his head distractedly. Donna hovered at his desk. "You're sure?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Donna."

Harvey watched Donna from the corner of his eye while they sat in peak hour traffic. She had been fighting to stay awake for the better part of an hour.

"You know you're the only person I know who can actually sleep after drinking coffee."

Donna forced her eyes open. "Old habit," she said sheepishly.

"Old habit?"

"My parents used to make lots of trips into the City but always at the crack of dawn. They preferred to beat the traffic."

Harvey briefly interrupted her with a well-timed honk at the immobile Volvo in front of them.

"Something about sitting in a car for extended periods of time makes me drowsy."

"I didn't ask you to come," Harvey snapped at her.

"Yes, you've made that abundantly clear," she responded, just as sharply.

Harvey and Donna settled back into uncomfortable silence as the traffic finally started to thin out.